Under the old law, parents had to sign waivers to enroll their children in bilingual programs. Since its reversal, the number of schools offering dual immersion in the state has grown steadily.

“The data shows that dual language immersion programs are usually very good for kids,” Gándara said.

“Kids are becoming bilingual, helping them get to college and get better jobs. Children are also less segregated in schools.”

There is no evidence that dual-language programs result in lower test scores, she added. While it’s true that students in these programs don’t initially score as high in English as monolinguals, the trend reverses around fifth grade, when they begin to outperform others, she said .

Why are teachers against it?

In his statement at last week’s board meeting, Gudenius said the teachers union conducted a survey to see what its members thought about a dual immersion program in Calistoga.

Most union members responded to the survey, he said, and none endorsed. Almost 80% were against and the rest were undecided.

Some believe in the merits of dual immersion in general, but I don’t think it’s right for Calistoga right now, he explained.

In an email to The Press Democrat, he said, “Over the past two decades, we have systematically made changes and improvements that have begun to show positive results and successes for our students, and we don’t want to lose. the programs, systems and supports that greatly benefit them.”

In the 2023-24 academic year, the school district made big gains in standardized test scores in both English and math. While scores are still below the state average, the district performed better than Napa Valley Unified and is slowly climbing back to pre-pandemic proficiency levels.

A drastic change, he said, could negatively impact “the things we already do so well” for students.

Potential downsides, he said, include lower test scores, difficulty finding enough Spanish instructional materials, staffing difficulties, issues of school equity and division, and program sustainability.

“If we’re going to do this, we have to approach it with caution, diligence and enough time to figure out if it’s even feasible before we start, especially in a small community school like ours, and especially when we’ve already tried that in the past and it didn’t work out,” Gudenius said.

How do the parents feel?

The move to investigate a potential dual-language immersion program at Calistoga schools has been fueled by parents who strongly believe it will benefit their children and the community.

Last winter, nearly 100 community members — most of whom were parents — signed a petition asking the district to look into it.

At last week’s board meeting, 10 parents voiced their opinions on the topic during public comment, with most in support of the program. Two parents asked the district to investigate why dual immersion was discontinued earlier in the Calistoga and St. Helena before moving on.

Supporters in public comments repeatedly cited that it would strengthen Calistoga’s bicultural, bilingual community and equip children with skills for an increasingly interconnected world.

Claire Weinkauf has two children in the school district. Originally French, she speaks five languages ​​and said she sees firsthand the benefits of being multilingual.

“My kids went to kindergarten in Spanish,” she said, “but now the school is in English and they’re slowly losing their Spanish. It’s a disappointment.”

In a community like Calistoga, she added, it would benefit everyone if children could speak both languages. “When you can speak the same language, you can connect with people. It’s an equalizer,” she said.

For Irene Peña, who also has two children in the school district, it’s important that her children continue to value the language of their parents and grandparents.

A graduate of the Calistoga School District herself, she said there was a version of dual immersion when she was a student and had just moved to the country.

“I spent the first day of school in the bathroom crying,” she said, “but when I heard my white teacher speak to me in Spanish, it was amazing.

“I felt that even though I was surrounded by people who didn’t look like me, there were people who spoke my language.”

Both Weinkauf and Peña were part of a group of parents who visited schools offering dual immersion programs in other counties with district representatives as part of the exploratory process.

“I asked the parents to explore this,” Peña said, “and for the first time, they’re listening to us, and I felt appreciated.”

“But when I went to the meeting, it was shocking to see every teacher dressed in red. I felt intimidated. I felt that my voice would not be heard by them,” she added. “We’re at such an early stage and it’s sad that teachers aren’t willing to explore this with parents. They say no before we even take a step forward.”

You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @MehtaTarini.